Adventures in Time Travel
by asuka02redeva
Summary: *Spin off to Adventures in Espionage* They were so close to completing their mission, they were almost home free, so why were they now the captives of the Third Hokage and his genin? SasuSaku
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Welcome to the spin off in the Adventures Series. First was "Adventures in Babysitting" then a holiday special _"_Adventures in Christmas" and lastly "Adventures in Espionage", so I would advise reading those first because this takes place right during Espionage.

Looks like Sasuke and Sakura hit a little bump in the road on their way to complete their mission…

NNN

**Adventures in Time Traveling: They Should Put a Warning Label on These Things**

NNN

Sakura stood nearly in shock at the sudden turn of events. Standing before them was a face they would recognize anywhere, for it had been in their text books at the academy and later, a much older version would be imprinted into their minds—the Third Hokage: Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Sasuke hadn't eased the hold on the hilt of his katana, after all, he too was a bit, (because Uchiha's aren't afflicted with bouts of shock), taken aback. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of situation they had landed themselves in. On one hand they were dressed in Kirigakure garb, his hitai-ate was like a painted target, and on the other hand, he wasn't certain where Kirigakure and Leaf's relations stood at this point in time.

Sakura's mind was running toward the same conclusion. She was left wondering if this was really a time jutsu, a form of genjutsu, or a really big setback. One thing was for sure, they would have to choose their words very carefully.

The medic sighed and made a seal, "Release!" Her sigh turned into a deflated mumble, "Oh dear…"

The Uchiha wasn't going to sigh, outwardly, but he did make a mental note that since it wasn't a genjutsu they were probably going to proceed cautiously.

"Did she really just try a release?" came an angry female voice from behind them, "Sensei, what's with these two?"

"Maybe they ended up here on accident?" offered a white haired boy with a large smile plastered on his face.

"You think of that all by yourself?" remarked the boy with the long hair and look of annoyance.

"Well we're just going to ask them," suggested Sarutobi with an inquisitive expression, "I'd say you didn't mean to fall into our camp, am I right?"

"You have no idea," mumbled Sakura, "What I mean to say is, where is _here_?"

"You are on the border of the Grass and the Leaf," he pleasantly replied, things had been getting a little dull with such an easy mission accomplished.

Sakura looked at Sasuke with a _'What the hell?' _expression, and the shinobi merely shook his head…great…he had nothing…

"Sooo…" commented the miniature version of Naruto's master, smiling at Sakura, "are you royalty?"

"Yes, I am hime to one of the villages in Kirigakure," she began, hearing the female scoff and something about _flirting_ mentioned. Sakura would take it, hell, Jiraiya was the only one not pointing a kunai at her or her companion.

She blinked at the hand extended to her and heard the Uchiha _tsk _as she took hold of Jiraiya's hand and allowed for him to help her up. It seemed like remaining calm and willingly answering their questions was the proper way to proceed. She knew deep down that Sasuke realized this wasn't a fight they had any possibility of winning.

"Thank you," she nodded in appreciation, watching as Sasuke slowly stood and brushed herself off.

Orochimaru looked bored, Tsunade looked grumpy, Jiraiya looked pleased and Sarutobi looked as though he had nothing better to do to pass the time.

"Jiraiya!" scolded Tsunade her fists clenching, "You baka! What if she had attacked you?!"

"She wasn't going to attack me," he replied with a toothy grin, "I have a good sense when it comes to pretty girls!"

Sakura couldn't help but think, _'Oh…so he was always a pervert?'_

The Uchiha tried not to bristle at the fact that Orochimaru was so close by. He wondered how the future would be altered if he were to kill the bastard right here and now. It was tempting…

"So you admit that you were flirting?!" grumbled the angry blonde.

"Not like I could flirt with a flat chested girl like you!" was his all mighty comeback.

Sakura could see the sparks flying between the two, and not the kind of spark that ignites love. She sighed, these two were hopeless.

Sarutobi scratched his chin in thought, "Why don't you just ignore those two for now. I'm Hiruzen Sarutobi and you are?"

The posing hime bowed her head in respect, "I am Hayagashi Sumiko, and this," she motioned to her companion, "is my bodyguard Sagara Satoshi."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you two were the product of a jutsu gone wrong. You're a little ways from home," reasoned the squad captain.

Sakura nodded, it sounded good so far, no reason to worry…

"On the other hand," there was a pause in his voice that didn't settle with the girl, "our last client was trying to avoid water assassins. Hmmm…"

Tsunade and Jiraiya had stopped bickering long enough to hear their sensei's reasoning.

"So they're here to pay us back for escorting our client safely to Grass?" questioned Tsunade, she looked a little eager to hit something, perhaps something other than Jiraiya.

Sakura gulped, she'd been on the receiving end of those fists during her training. Sasuke was watching Orochimaru, who hadn't taken his eyes off of the pair.

"They could be who they say they are," suggested Orochimaru, "or they could be the perfect assassins, hoping to catch us off guard with their story. We could always test their skills."

The Uchiha pulled the blade from its sheath before Sakura could react, "Do you want to test that theory?" He sounded deadly serious, even without the sharingan, his eyes were full of intent.

A drawn out whistle came from Sarutobi at the speed from their uninvited guest. Jiraiya blinked, torn between wanting to watch Orochimaru get a butt kicking or helping out his teammate while Tsunade looked ready to jump in.

"Sensei, I'd like to test my skills against this guy," commented Orochimaru with a smirk, "He's got a strong chakra pattern; it would make for an interesting fight to see what he can do."

Sakura wanted nothing more than to watch Sasuke wipe that smirk off of Orochimaru's face, but if they could avoid fighting, they needed to do so. In the heat of battle, even a brilliant shinobi like Sasuke, could use something that the Leaf ninja could ascertain as being from the village. The sharingan would be a dead giveaway, and if exhorted, the medic was certain that his eyes would active on their own.

She placed her hand on his arm and watched as he jerked his head before meeting her eyes. A silent conversation was held as emerald clashed with onyx. The Uchiha begrudgingly complied with her request and lowered the blade, much to Orochimaru's disappointment.

"It's a shame you're bound to the orders of this girl," taunted the snake with an accompanying smile, "Looks like she doesn't let you have any fun."

Sakura couldn't resist, leaning forward and looking right into Orochimaru's eyes she stated, "Believe me, you wouldn't like the kind of fun he'd give you."

Sarutobi decided to intervene, "Alright kids, you've made your point. Look it's going to be nightfall soon, we can talk more tonight and decide what it is we're going to do with our uninvited guests."

Sasuke turned his attention to the squad's captain, "Are we your captives?"

"For now, I would say we have no choice but to have you return to the Leaf village with us," he quickly added, having noticed their apprehension, "I assure you, we will treat you well."

Jiraiya decided to take advantage of the situation, "Sumiko-hime? Can I call you, Sumiko-hime?"

Well he kind of just did, didn't he?

She nodded and he seemed to beam, "You can sit by me, we were just starting dinner. I'm sure it isn't nearly as good as the stuff you have at home but—

Sakura's eyes seemed to soften, he reminded her a lot of Naruto, and she couldn't help but wonder how he was faring. She noticed that Tsunade's younger self was even more hot tempered than her current—how was that even possible?

"Sensei, what's the meaning of this?!" she fumed, watching as her sensei merely held up a hand in his defense, "At least take the katana from the guard!"

Sarutobi grimaced at her yelling, "Well, you see…there's just something about these two that makes me think I don't have to worry about that."

Tsunade's jaw nearly dropped before throwing her hands up and looking to the only remaining member of her team Orochimaru (Jiraiya was off at the camp fire with the so-called hime and her bodyguard). Orochimaru shook his head but he wasn't dejected,

"If they pose a problem it could be fun."

The female blonde clenched her fists—she was surrounded by idiots or something! Sparing a glance at Jiraiya she fumed, believing he'd be the first to be killed in his sleep.

NNN

Jiraiya had introduced himself to them and was currently sitting on the ground, watching as their sensei prepared something for dinner.

"I hope it's edible," he murmured, "Sensei's not much of a cook."

They'd had some pretty lousy meals as genin with Kakashi. It must be a prerequisite in order to be a sensei—poor culinary skills a must. Sakura was pretty sure they would have starved if it hadn't been for her volunteering. If the smell was any indication, they were in for a real treat.

"What is he cooking?" whispered Sakura to Jiraiya.

"He may be attempting to cook miso…or he may just be boiling water at this point," he replied with a shrug.

"Can she cook?" inquired the medic with a glance toward her future shishou.

Jiraiya burst out laughing, "Ha! Tsunade can't cook, it's more toxic than Sensei's!"

Both the medic and the Uchiha leaned to the right to avoid the bag that slammed into the white haired boy's face. Sakura cringed, that was going to leave a mark, and he wouldn't know it until he woke up.

NNN

Dinner had been quite bad, a watery broth and misshaped vegetables, but it was more than either of them had consumed in the last day. Seeing as they were now prisoners, because let's not beat around the bush, they were lucky they had gotten that.

The discussion had been questions regarding how they had come to land in the leaf ninja's camp. They decided to only give as much information as was necessary to avoid any complicated questions—they still didn't know if this was some sort of a trap.

"You stepped into an enemy's jutsu?" questioned Sarutobi, the fire's glow casting shadows on his face.

"Yes, we had almost completed our mission and then we were here," replied the posing hime.

"We're not sure what activated the jutsu, but we need to find a way back to Kirigakure," informed her bodyguard.

Jiraiya looked interested, even Tsunade's demeanor had changed a bit.

"A hime versed in medical ninjutsu," commented Tsunade, "I thought you'd just be a royal brat."

Sakura grinned, "Sorry to disappoint you."

Orochimaru's gaze was still unsettling—even at a young age, the pair realized, he was intently studying those around him.

NNN

They sat back to back supporting one another's weight in the moonlight.

"Are you tired?" asked the female.

"Aa," was his honest reply.

She nodded, "Me too…but is it safe to fall asleep?"

"I don't think that they're going to pull anything," remarked the Uchiha, "they would have done it already."

It felt strange that they had to second guess their future hokage—er—hokages to be correct, and Jiraiya was an important part of Naruto's life. Orochimaru had been an important part of Sasuke's life but for different reasons.

"You should sleep first," whispered the medic, "you can't be one hundred percent yet."

He really hated it when she noticed hindrances. She smiled, feeling that he was annoyed at her observation.

Reaching back and resting her hand on top of his she continued, "I wish you could have fought Orochimaru, it would have been nice to wipe that smug look off his face."

He could feel her chakra starting to flow into his tired muscles, it was relaxing and coaxing him to rest.

NNN

Jiraiya let out a sigh, "Man….why don't you ever do that for me, Tsunade?"

Tsunade scoffed, "You don't deserve it, baka," upon further observation she believed to have broken his nose with the bag earlier, "You'd probably try something perverted."

"No, I wouldn't," he tried to sound serious but the nasally sounding words didn't do much for his case. "Look, I'll sit on my hands."

The blonde arched an eyebrow watching as he made good on his words. With a growl she placed her hand over his nose and allowed for her chakra to appear.

NNN

Sakura didn't miss much, not the stars in the sky, the tilt of the Uchiha's body into hers as he slept, or her future shishou tending to Jiraiya. She had a pretty good inkling how Tsunade's future self-felt about the toad sage.

NNN

Night one has started….please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Notes: Sadly time is not a friend of mine. I have to pop out small updates when I get a moment. Holidays are coming so I might be able to grab a bit more time.

NNN

Staring at the night sky was the most peaceful thing that had happened to the medic, in what felt like forever. She had no idea how they were going to return to Kirigakure and free the queen. She wondered about Myobu, where was the fox now and was Toshiro really dead?

Sakura glanced toward team Hiruzen believing that none of them were going to make escaping easy. Even if that were the route they chose. No, it would be better to be taken to the Hidden Leaf Village and maybe the second hokage would be of some assistance. Even that, the girl thought with a sigh, would be some long shot.

Katsuyu's summoning was a form of transportation, but Sakura was certain she couldn't summon the slug—the time would definitely play a factor—hell, she wasn't even born yet! At least she wasn't alone or worse, what if Sasuke had been the only one transported? How would she have explained that to Naruto?

Worse though was the creeping thought of not being able to find their way back…

The pink haired medic shook her head to clear the idea. There was no way she was going to give up. After all, she reminded herself, she wasn't alone as was evident by holding the sleeping Uchiha's hand.

NNN

Sarutobi had taken the first watch and had kept a close eye on their guests. He noticed how the supposed hime hadn't rested the entire time her companion slept. He also noticed how they had positioned themselves back to back to not be caught off guard by an enemy. These weren't ordinary kids; Orochimaru had been right. The bodyguard's chakra signal was strong, but the girl seemed to have a few tricks too. The future hokage had watched her administer healing chakra with little effort and lull her wary companion to sleep.

His team on the other hand…

Well his team consisted of a snoring boy, a girl with a clenched fist and a pillow over her head, and a boy who had barely slept—said boy, was too interested in the pair. Orochimaru was quite gifted and Sarutobi expected him to pass the Chunin exams easily in the upcoming months. He was always studying others and interested in their jutsu. Then there was Jiraiya—not the sharpest kunai in the drawer—head strong and quick to jump into a battle…quick to get knocked out by Tsunade too. Lastly the female of the group, who had excellent control of chakra at such a young age. They were an interesting trio.

NNN

The kunoichi realized that she had been through a lot with her raven haired companion. There had been a time where the Uchiha's death had looked like the only possible outcome in order to protect both Naruto and the Leaf. The Uchiha had been on such a dark path back then and the medic's hesitation to take his life had nearly cost her own life. She sometimes wondered if he would have had any remorse for taking her life, had Naruto not intervened.

Ah Naruto. Where would she be without him? _"Probably not on this mission," _she thought with a quiet laugh. She sincerely hoped that he was faring well with trying to avert a war.

Staring upward at the starry sky was reminiscent for the young woman. Often she would stay awake, long after her team members, just to watch the stars and try to memorize the positions of the constellations. This time, however, she was a different girl gazing at the night sky. She was no longer the weak genin who called herself a kunoichi but didn't fully understand its meaning. Now she was a true kunoichi—she'd seen heart ache, loss, growth, built lasting relationships, and at long last she could stand next to both Naruto and Sasuke and consider herself their equal. The one who helped her realize her potential was currently growling about her idiot teammate snoring so loud he could wake the dead.

Sakura leaned back against her sleeping companion and sighed. How funny to be content during such odd circumstances?

"Go to sleep…"

His whisper nearly caught her off guard and it took a moment for her to reply, "Sorry, did I wake you?"

She turned her head to the side and felt his cheek brush against hers in the process. It felt nice, a reassuring warmth settled into her stomach.

"You're fine," his calm voice continued, "You should have woken me sooner."

She gently shook her head and gave the hand at his side a squeeze. "It's alright," she murmured before closing her eyes, "You've been through a lot."

"You're being annoying," he announced, but his tone wasn't a scolding one, "care more about yourself for a change."

"I'll see what I can do," she answered with an accompanying yawn and felt his fingers grasp her own.

NNN

Orochimaru hadn't taken his eyes off the pair since their arrival. His observations informed him that these two shared a complex relationship. What was it that was evident in their emotions? Compassion, loyalty, trust, love? All useless emotions if they didn't help you achieve your goals. How do attachments make you a stronger shinobi? How do they enable you to master more skills?

In his opinion, the bodyguard was being held back. Oh sure, this hime had some skill, but in the end attachments are merely a hindrance and if you want to be strong you must rely on yourself.

NNN

The Uchiha noticed when her breath slowed and signaled that she was finally asleep. Honestly, there were times when he felt that Sakura would wear herself out just to watch over himself or Naruto. Using healing chakra to put him to sleep; that was a dirty trick. Sure, he felt better and the poison's long lasting effects were nearly gone now; however, what he had been through wasn't anywhere near what Sakura had. The image of that disgusting prince who killed his own father to usurp the thrown, imprisoned his mother, forced Sakura to marry him, and used the Uchiha's life as a bargaining tool entered his mind. He felt the sharingan trying to activate and pushed his anger down. He was well aware that Orochimaru had been watching them, and that snake had keen eyes. The Uchiha's were still a prominent family in this time period and if the infamous eye technique were seen, their cover would be blown.

He unconsciously ran his thumb across the back of her hand. His path of hatred had blocked a lot, such as, the importance of friendship and what he hadn't been able to see in front of him. Sakura was the only girl he'd ever tolerate, it was as clear as a bell. It was even clearer that Toshiro's hands didn't belong on her.

_The Uchiha, alongside of the fox, had heard a sound as shrill as a whistle reverberate through the tunnel. Her screams had set something off inside of him; the sound of a struggle, she was fighting his advancements and he was going to…_

_Myobu had barely a second to react to the fact that somehow the Uchiha had pushed past the pain in his body and with lightning speed taken off in the direction of the hime. _

_He wasn't sure he was going to make it. She was still too far away from him and Toshiro's exclamation of taking her had driven him to a frenzy. Then the bastard came into view—straddling Sakura, her robes undone, his wandering hand, the other entrapping her wrists. He'd broken nearly every bone in Toshiro's body upon removing him from her person and slamming him into the wall. _

Sasuke tilted his head to catch a glance at her sleeping face. He wasn't sure how Sakura could have ever recovered had she been that bastard's victim. However, he was certain, no one was going to touch her as long as he was around, and with that thought he sent a pointed glare toward Orochimaru, who seemed to grin like the serpent he was.

NNN

Sarutobi sighed…the journey home would be interesting…

He could already see Tsunade's irritation, Jiraiya's infatuation and Orochimaru's calculating nature.

NNN

To Be Continued Until Next Time. 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Notes: Thank you for the kind reviews. We're moving on to Day 2.

NNN

They had been awoken at dawn for breakfast and to break camp. Jiraiya sat cross legged, shoulders slumped, elbows propped on his knees and chin in hand fighting sleep. Tsunade didn't appear to be much of a morning person, sitting with a frown on her face, and some hair sticking up in an odd angle. Orochimaru had a look of indifference, he didn't seem to really care if they had breakfast or just headed home first.

Sakura tried to hide a yawn but failed. She couldn't tell what Sarutobi was attempting to cook. The Uchiha at her side, sat with his arms crossed and looking as though he were trying to ascertain the course of events that would take place after breakfast.

They were being taken to the Hidden Leaf Village. That shouldn't be so bad, but they couldn't be certain that they would be returned to Kirigakure, or how they would explain themselves should the Mizukage be called to vouch for them. Yeah…since they were A. posing as a hime and bodyguard from a supposed mythical village and B. not born yet.

NNN

Yup…that's how it had all started…

Since so many of their other adventures had gone _oh so well_ up until now, was it even a surprise that things had led to imprisonment?

Yes, you read right. Imprisonment: _the state of being imprisoned; captivity._

Sakura currently occupied a nice uncomfortable metal bed in their spacious cell within the Leaf Village. She sat with her feet dangling over the side of the bed and had a forced smile on her face as the guard walked past.

The Uchiha sat across from her on his _equally_ comfy bed, arms crossed and a frown on his face.

Well wasn't this quaint?

NNN

Sarutobi had taken the rear, their uninvited guests in the middle, with Jiraiya on the outside (talking Sakura's ear off) and Tsunade on the other side giving Sasuke a few glances. Orochimaru led their team through the woods.

"Sumiko hime," started Jiraiya, he hadn't run out of questions just yet, "what do you think is the most important quality of a shinobi?"

Sakura heard Tsunade scoff in response, putting a finger to her chin in thought.

Orochimaru took it upon himself to spare a comment, "A shinobi should be intelligent," and his comment was met with a giggle from the blonde.

"He should also have some skill."

Jiraiya was really getting it on both ends from his team. It reminded her of her own Team 7. Sasuke and she had always been picking on Naruto back in the day. She heard Sarutobi sigh and mumble something under his breath.

"I think a real shinobi's heart is the most important quality," informed the posing hime, and yes you could have heard a pin drop.

"His heart?!" Tsunade blasted with a laugh, "And what's so great about that?"

Orochimaru spoke of wasted emotions and Sarutobi's face held an interested expression. Well Sakura had a great example in Naruto; his heart was what had made it possible for him to get through so many disappointments and to strive to achieve his dream of becoming hokage. Jiraiya definitely had heart…he used it later in life in the form of trying to attract pretty women and sell his dirty novels, but he had become a talented shinobi.

"Yes," she spoke with confidence, "his heart. If he doesn't have the heart for fighting in what he believes is right then he will never be a true shinobi."

Jiraiya had little stars in his eyes and pumped his fist with a renewed energy. "Oh Sumiko hime! Your words have lit a fire within me!"

Sasuke shook his head at the boy's exuberance. The future Toad Sannin had been the perfect match for Naruto in more ways than one.

"Great, now he's got a useless confidence," remarked Orochimaru, "everyone knows that a real shinobi should be keen in jutsu and the ninja arts."

Sarutobi interrupted, "No, Orochimaru. A good shinobi should have a determined heart. The hime is correct."

Orochimaru looked perturbed, being corrected by his sensei wasn't something he was accustomed to. Sasuke could see a parallel with Orochimaru and himself as a genin. It was unsettling. Orochimaru looked at Jiraiya the same way he had with Naruto.

"What do you mean, sensei?" asked Tsunade, he now held her attention as they continued their journey home.

"Tsunade, what if your great uncle, our hokage, had been a man with no compassion or goodness in his heart?"

"But my uncle has enough skills to be—

"You think skill is enough to guide the people and have them follow his leadership?"

The girl thought for a moment and then mumbled, "No, sensei."

"And Orochimaru? How effective is a leader who does not care for his people? What would happen to him then?"

Then snake looked bored, having to answer such a mundane question. He stared at the cause of this awkward conversation, the pink haired hime.

"Well?"

He could tell his sensei was getting annoyed with his hesitation. "The people would overthrow him. There would be mutiny and then a leader more suited would be chosen. Of course, if the people could not agree on a leader then fighting would commence until the strongest of them became the victor. In the end it would all be settled, the strong survive." The snake grinned at the group upon completion of his answer.

Jiraiya blinked, Sasuke's face said _'And no one thought there was anything wrong with you as a child?' _

Tsunade had to ponder this information and see its logic.

Sakura looked toward Sarutobi like _'Seriously?'_

And good old Sarutobi rubbed the back of head, surely hoping this was just a phase Orochimaru was going through.

NNN

Boy things had really gone off without a hitch.

Yup right up until Jiraiya had been chatting away and Sakura had suddenly leaned forward and placed a hand over his mouth. The boy blinked but soon realized that his entire party had shifted into defensive positions.

"How many?" questioned Tsunade.

"I'd say about ten," replied Orochimaru, "given their chakra signals, probably bandits."

Jiraiya uncovered his mouth with wide eyes, "Bandits? What do they want?"

"Isn't it obvious, baka? They probably want her!" exclaimed Tsunade, "What should we do sensei?"

Sarutobi looked at his group. He was in the woods with a chunin able shinobi, a talented female genin, a boy who would make a good distraction…now, now…he had to be fair, when Jiraiya focused he could be useful. He also had a supposed royal guard and a hime added to the mix.

The first kunai hit the ground, landing in the middle of the group, and had an explosive tag attached to it. Everyone was quick to react and jump backwards as smoke invaded the area.

Sakura heard the clash of metal, someone had already made themselves known and one of her group had parried a blow. They had dispersed into the woods, hoping to separate their attackers and end this inconvenience quickly.

"Everyone okay?!" Sarutobi's voice rang out through the smoke. From the sound of it, he expected another attack and dodged.

Orochimaru jumped backwards having anticipated the shuriken thrown his way. "I'm good!"

Tsunade was holding her own too. She'd been learning how to control her chakra and her hits were quite strong, (not super human yet), as her fist connected with someone's jaw. "Good, sensei!"

Sasuke didn't dare activate the sharingan, even with the smoke cloud, he was afraid that the future hokage or the snake would somehow see. His taijutsu was proving to be effective at the moment. He could sense Sakura and Jiraiya were together. Orochimaru, Tsunade and Sarutobi weren't too far from him. The snake probably wouldn't go too close from him, thinking that this might be a ploy to escape.

"Sumiko?!" he called out and heard her reply, "We're good!"

Sakura had ascertained that everyone's chakra signals were strong. The smoke had cleared enough to make out Jiraiya's form in the distance. He was running parallel with her and being pursued. Sakura reached into her robe and frowned—when going on an adventure one should always remember to change their clothes and bring some supplies. No poison needles, shuriken or kunai. Fine, she'd just have to get close enough to them to disable them—after all, princesses don't usually have chakra enhanced fists that break ground.

Jiraiya was a high spirited genin, much like Naruto. He was doing well but, like Naruto was easily boastful and distracted.

Jiraiya blocked his opponent's fist and was pushed back. He turned at the sound of someone entering from behind and blinked.

Sakura landed in back of Jiraiya, seeming to have come to his rescue from out of nowhere and with chakra laced fingertips rendered her opponent incapacitated. The bandit was currently on the ground flailing and crying that he couldn't feel his legs or arms, while Jiraiya gave a good old fashioned knock to the head of his current opponent.

"Whoa hime…that's pretty cool…"

Sakura smiled in appreciation. "C'mon, let's go help the others!"

NNN

So they helped the others, the bandits were defeated and victory was theirs! However, when they entered the gates of Konoha…

They learned that Kirigakure had attacked some leaf shinobi on a mission. For safety measures, the hime and the bodyguard were toted off to prison in hand cuffs (much to Jiraiya's dismay) to be questioned for it appeared they were connected to the recent attacks.

Jiraiya had been kind enough to sneak Sakura a candy bar before her incarceration. "I'll never forget how you saved me back there hime. Even if your nation and mine can never be allies, I will always remember you."

Tsunade just shook her head as she pushed her teammate toward the door. Perhaps this event would be one that would inspire one of his dirty novels one day.

Orochimaru lingered a bit longer, watching as Sarutobi explained to the two that if they really were who they said they were then they would have nothing to worry about. He assured the duo that while they were prisoners, they would be treated fairly.

Sakura looked across the way at some tough looking guy currently winking at her from another cell and face faulted. No wait…he might have been winking at Sasuke. Noticing the way Sasuke's eye was twitching she had her answer.

NNN

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Notes: Been forever but here's an update…

NNN

Uncomfortable metal bed, check. Dank prison cell, double check. Perverted prisoner in the cell across from them, triple check.

Sakura sighed…yup…things were starting off pretty well. The Uchiha had been quiet for quite a while now, which only added to the boredom factor. Sakura rested her back against the hard concrete wall and sighed for the umpteenth time.

"You're being annoying…"

At last! There was life!

"...At least you spoke," she mumbled.

The medic had gotten quite tired of counting the ceiling tiles and was happy for any conversation.

"I've been thinking of a way out of this," replied the stoic shinobi, "and all outcomes aren't in our favor."

"I know," the pink haired girl confirmed, "you don't need to worry about me if it comes to that. I can handle myself."

The raven haired teen raised an eyebrow, "I know that." He averted his gaze and continued, "It doesn't mean that I won't protect you."

She felt a tug at the edges of her lips, a sweet smile wanting to appear in response to his words. Ah, even in prison, she could be touched by the Uchiha's little bouts of tenderness.

NNN

Sasuke was inwardly brooding at his predicament. Stuck in prison with Sakura, annoying as always, blabbing on about protecting herself and probably him. He didn't need her to protect him, and to make him admit that he would protect her…_so_ annoying…

Even more annoying was the big and beefy prisoner in the cell across from them who was winking and trying to gain his attention. Look at Sakura, see her looking at him with one of her sweet expressions…or look toward the prisoner and endure a visual molestation…

Either decision was a dead end…Uchiha's didn't work well with awkward.

NNN

A guard stopped at their cell door, "We're taking you in for questioning." He informed them as he turned the key to the lock and opened the door, "If you try anything it will be seen as an act of hostility and all negotiations will be off."

"We understand," confirmed Sasuke with a nod.

"If you'll come with me," the guard spoke to Sakura and noticed the mood shift, "I've been asked to question you separately. The girl first, and then we'll be back for you."

The posing hime locked eyes with her companion and affirmed that it was alright. She wasn't exactly a defenseless rookie and hoping that the negotiation process wasn't too different than Konoha's current one, she allowed herself to be led out of the cell.

Sakura couldn't help but face fault, for as the guard led her down the hallway, Sasuke's adoring fan said, "_If she's going to be leaving and he needs a cellmate I wouldn't mind keeping him company_!"

NNN

Sakura was seated in a room with no windows, only a table and three chairs. One occupied by herself, the other two by two men she didn't know.

"Your first contact with Leaf Ninja was when you came across Team Hiruzen's party. Is this correct?"

Both men looked to be well versed in these conversations, but perhaps they hadn't encountered many people posing to be royalty…female royalty that is. Sakura had no doubt though that these two could easily switch to brutal interrogators if advised.

"Yes," was her response, "my bodyguard and I were completing a mission of our own. We somehow set off a transportation jutsu and landed, literally, in Team Hiruzen's camp."

Notes were jotted down, although how they could make them out was beyond the medic's knowledge, for the room was so poorly lit.

"And this transportation jutsu? You were both unaware of such a thing that could transport you from Kirigakure to outside of Leaf Nation territory?"

"Yes. We would not be here otherwise."

"I see." More scribbling. "And do you know the current relations between your nation and ours?"

Sakura sat up a little straighter, "Yes, I am aware. I can assure you that we do not want any more added tension between our nations."

"As you have stated upon your initial meeting with Team Hiruzen. Can you explain why Kirigakure ninja attacked Leaf ninja on the same day that you appear on our borders?"

"No, I cannot," informed the posing hime, and clarified quickly so that her statement wouldn't be misunderstood, "Kirigakure is not a close knit nation. Each territory is ruled by various kings, queens or people in power. Yes the Mizukage is technically in charge, but those who possess power below the Mizukage govern themselves and their underlings."

"I see…"

Ah but do you? The posing hime was unconvinced.

"How will you judge our innocence? And when can we return home?"

It was time to get straight forward. All hell could be breaking loose in the future and she didn't have time to wait around for a verdict. And if one was not to come, then she and Sasuke could fight their way out. It would difficult and it would probably take nearly everything they had…if they made it out alive.

"We will collect our facts. Your companion is being questioned now and if your stories check out, then we will take it to the Hokage and it will be his decision."

"Tell me, when was the last time your Hokage released ninja from Kirigakure?"

"They have never been released so to speak."

Assassination. It keeps getting better…

NNN

Sakura was returned to her cell and had to wait for the Uchiha. She paced the small area in thought. Calculating the odds of being released, the odds of assassination, the odds of their cover being blown if the Mizukage was contacted, and the odds of escaping alive. She had better odds of eating something better than gruel for their last meal.

The pink haired girl turned at the sound of footsteps coming down the hall and was relieved to see her companion being returned. If it had been Naruto he would have tried to talk his way out of being interrogated, epically failed, lost his cool and had to be detained.

"I'll bring you some food and water," informed the guard before locking the door and heading back down the hall.

"So?"

"We're not getting out of here," was the shinobi's response.

Both of their calculating minds needed to devise how they were going to remedy this problem and fast!

NNN

Thanks for reading.


End file.
